Star-studded start to VIP Vegas

The VIP Vegas experience is under way and on top of the luxury of our High Roller suite, 5* accommodation and glorious sunshine - it seems the stars are out to play too!

A few members of our group were warming up for Saturday's WSOP $1500 NLHE Event #32 with a cash game in the the MGM Grand, when one spied a certain Samir Nasri of Arsenal lurking by the poker pit.

Not to be denied a great story, our man switched tables and soon got involved in a big pot with the French international footballer, only to suffer a bad beat at his hands.

Having taken the seat of another Gunner, striker Marouane Chamakh, he got all his chips in with KK in a three-way monster pot vs Nasri and a friend - only for his famous foe's AJ to find help on the flop and prove he's lucky as well as good!

Real the full story on the 2+2 forums.

Win an iPad2 playing WSOP Fantasy Poker

Fantasy Poker is the free game that’s been taking the ParadisePoker Tour by storm – and now it’s set for the bright lights of Las Vegas from June 18th-20th.

Everything is bigger and better in the entertainment capital of the world, so in addition to the usual €1,100 ParadisePoker Tour package to be won, you could also get your hands on the coveted iPad2!

Just like at the PPT, you’ll need to pick three ParadisePoker players from those competing in WSOP Event #32 from June 18th-20th to make up your team, and the deeper your players go, the greater your winning chance.

All players who make Day 2 will score points, with the highest finisher claiming the most. So for example, should ten players return to the Rio for Day 2, the highest finisher will score 10 points and the first to exit will score one.

You can track your team’s progress right here on the ParadisePoker blog and who knows, your ParadisePoker fantasy could soon be reality!

WSOP Fantasy Poker - How to Play
1. Check back here for full list of players by June 18th
2. Follow on-screen instructions to select your team of three players
3. Players that reach Day 2 will score points according to where they finish
4. The highest scoring team wins the entrant a €1,100 prize package to the ParadisePoker Tour plus an iPad2, 2nd place wins a chipset plus ParadisePoker jacket and 3rd place a ParadisePoker jacket

Please note: Instructions on how to enter will be live on the blog by no later than June 16th.

PPT Madrid Gallery

Haigh sweeps into Tour League lead

A second final table appearance at the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid saw Robert Haigh climb to the top of the PPT League with one event to play.

The popular German leapfrogged Ronnie Espensen, the Dane who had led since PPT London in November, courtesy of his seventh-place finish and leaves him in a powerful position.

The Tour League champion will win a €10,000 bonus prize plus entry into all Season 3 events, so battle for the top spot will be fierce in Barcelona from July 29th-31st.

Espensen will be disappointed to have lost the lead he held for so long, but Haigh's consistency has earned him his place at the summit - and the tournament professional will be keen to hold on to top spot.

A deep run in Barcelona could yet pay off for Lukasz Gebica, Paulo Calado, Tibor Boros or Bastian Bluem, however, so all eyes will be on the leading contenders when we shuffle up and deal in Catalonia.

ParadisePoker Tour League Standings
1. Robert Haigh - 91
2. Ronnie Espensen - 88
3. Lukasz Gebica - 64
4. Paulo Calado - 64
5. Tibor Boros - 61
6. Bastian Bluem - 57

Click to view the full PPT League standings.

PPT Madrid - on the side

250 players anted up in the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid side events and chased over €30,000 in prize money over three days of tournament action at Gran Casino Madrid.

While battle raged in the €125,000 Guaranteed Main Event on April 30th, the €200 NLHE Freezeout attracted 74 entrants and it was Daniel Fresneda who won the €4,600 top prize in a Spanish-dominated final table.

The locals continued to dominate the €150 Pot Limit Omaha on May 1st, with David Perez wrapping up victory, before Sergio Valero made it a clean sweep for the hosts in the €100 NLHE Deep and Steep tournament.

Special note goes to Jose MªAguaron after he cashed in two events, but congratulations go to all our side event winners!

Here are the PPT Madrid side event results:

Side Event 1 - April 30th
€200 + €20 NLH Freezeout

Place - Name - Country - Prize
1 - DANIEL FRESNEDA - SPAIN - €4,600.00
2 - JUAN P. HERRANZ - SPAIN - €2,900.00
3 - JUSTO GARCIA - SPAIN - €1,900.00
4 - RAFAEL CHACON - SPAIN - €1,400.00
5 - YANIRA DELGADO - SPAIN - €1,000.00
6 - INOCENTE GOMEZ - SPAIN - €800.00
7 - ANGEL GOMEZ PALMERO - SPAIN - €700.00
8 - SALIM ALIBAS - SPAIN - €600.00
9 - JOSE Mª AGUARON - SPAIN - €500.00

Side Event 2 - May 1st
€150 + €15 Pot Limit Omaha

Place - Name - Country - Prize
1 - DAVID PEREZ - SPAIN - €1,500.00
2 - CONSUELO NAVARRO - SPAIN - €900.00
3 - JOSE Mª AGUARON - SPAIN - €600.00

Side Event 2 - May 1st
€100 + €10 NLH Deep and Steep Freezeout

Place - Name - Country - Prize
1 - SERGIO VALERO - SPAIN - €3,800.00
2 - ALEJANDRO PONT - SPAIN - €2,400.00
3 - ANTONIO GAMBERO - SPAIN - €1,450.00
4 - OSCAR RODRIGUEZ CALAMONTE - SPAIN - €1,100.00
5 - OMAR RODRIGUEZ OCAMPO - SPAIN - €800.00
6 - GONZALO RUIZ DE MEDINA - SPAIN - €700.00
7 - FELIX MOTA CASTRO - SPAIN - €600.00
8 - STEVEN WARNER - GERMANY - €500.00
9 - JEREMIAS GERARDO JOSON - SPAIN - €400.00

Fantasy Poker - Madrid results

The Germans made a big impact on the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid as deep runs from the likes of Robert Haigh and Bastian Blüm proved the key to Fantasy Poker glory.

Tournament pro Haigh in particular had been a hugely popular pick following his success in Vienna, so plenty of teams benefitted from the 44-point haul for his 7th-place finish.

That called for strength in depth to separate the teams and it was +EV!!! who had Blüm in support. The fellow German last just minutes on Day 3 but that 17th-place earned his backer a €1,100 package to Barcelona!

In second place was Brauny, who had picked 32nd-place finisher Steve Warner along with Haigh, while kiiivii snatched 3rd on the back of Wolfram Henke and Martin Nielsen both reaching the points.

Don't forget Fantasy Poker will be back for the final leg of the ParadisePoker Tour, Season Two in Barcelona, from July 28th-31st.

Until then, our congratulations go to +EV!!! on the victory; we'll be in touch soon to confirm your prize.

+EV!!! - 78 points
Robert Haigh (44)
Jens Weigel
Bastian Blüm (34)

Brauny - 63 points
Suse Posny
Steve Warner (19)
Robert Haigh (44)

kiiivii - 54 points
Luis Ubierna Martinez
Wolfram Henke (26)
Martin Nielsen (28)

Baldor crowned the king of Madrid

Pablo Baldor outlasted his opponents to take down the ParadisePoker Madrid after a gruelling final table lasted deep into the night.

The cash game pro finished the job by making a fine hero call with Q♥5♠ on a 7♠K♥5♥-2♥-2♠ board.

His opponent Jose Maria Somolinos had put the last of his chips into the pot on the river with a missed straight draw, but Baldor held his nerve to claim the PPT trophy plus the €4,000 added prize money.

Here's what he had to say after following in the footsteps of fellow Spanish pro Miguel 'Miki' Rodriguez, who won the 2010 event.

How does it feel to have won the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid?
It’s really nice to have won because I live in Madrid – this is my casino – and I’m not really a tournament player. This was just a bit of fun to be honest and it’s been just that, not just because I won but also because I played with friends along the way. I’m a professional cash game player right now but I enjoy tournaments, they make a nice break from the routine. If I can travel playing tournaments as well – that’s even better!

The one thing you don’t get in a cash game is that sense of being the winner, as opposed to up or down for the session, so is that a special feeling?
It’s a great competition and I enjoy that element but I’m not new to tournament poker, so while I’m happy to win I know luck played a big part along the way. I don’t feel like a world champion or anything!

You won back-to-back hands to knock out Robert Haigh on the final table when he had Aces and then Kings. When things like that happen, does it feel like destiny is playing a part for you?
The whole tournament I had things go my way. When we were at the bubble I won with QQ vs KK, so that has to be one of the key hands of the tournament. On Day 1 I won a big pot with Aces vs KK and another KK. The first hand with Robert, I called from the big blind with pocket 7s and flopped a set. I check-min raised him and although he called on the flop, he’s a good player and he made a great lay down on the turn. The second hand I had AQ in the small blind and I had a very big stack; he slow-played Kings and I had made the decision to check-raise all-in on the flop. Obviously he called and I hit runner runner diamonds – the rest is history!

The final table was a long one, lasting until past 5am in the morning, so were you still enjoying it as time wore on?
Getting to the final table in the first place was very tough but I used to play online tournaments, sometimes for 12 or more hours at a time, so it’s not a problem for me to play for so long. I tried to focus because although this was fun, it’s also my job and the money is important. The title is important too though.

With that in mind, the last four players made a deal and played on for €4,000 extra, so was it the money motivating you at that point or the prestige of winning the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid title?
Both. I don’t have a sponsor at the moment and this kind of win can help me achieve that goal. I’m a cash player so this is my best chance to get some recognition.

How much did it mean to have your girlfriend in the crowd cheering you on?
We agreed that if I had any chance to win the tournament, she would come here to cheer me on, hold the cheque in the photo and share the glory! {laughs} She’s already planned how to spend the money!